Anaheim mayor quits OCTA board

ANAHEIM – Mayor Tom Tait is stepping down from his position as a member of the Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors after just four months, saying he is too busy with other duties.

Lately, those duties have included spending a good deal of time trying to help bring the Sacramento Kings to Anaheim. But Tait said that is not a reason for him stepping down from the transit agency board.

Tait, who was elected mayor last November, took over on the OCTA board in December for former Mayor Curt Pringle, a strong advocate for local and regional transportation programs.

Pringle took a lead on high-speed-rail projects and still serves on the statewide High Speed Rail Authority.

Anaheim is all but guaranteed a seat on the 17-member board, which has traditionally been held by the mayor. No decision has been made on who will succeed Tait, which is set to be discussed by the OCTA's city selection committee on May 12.

Some readers commenting on political blogs have expressed surprise that Tait would give up his long-term role on OCTA while focusing on more short-term issues, such as bringing NBA basketball to Anaheim. Tait traveled to New York last week to speak to NBA officials and let them know that Anaheim is ready and eager to welcome a team.

"(My resignation) really doesn't have to do with the NBA, it's about me being a new mayor and spending time on the big issues this city faces," Tait said in an interview Tuesday.

Those issues include dealing with a $10 million to $12 million annual deficit.

Anaheim is amid several high-profile transportation projects, pushing to build the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a rail, bus and taxi hub near Angel Stadium, and seeking a high-speed rail line between here and San Francisco.

"Unfortunately, my duties as a new mayor require more time than I had anticipated," Tait said in his resignation letter. "...I am confident that my successor will continue to keep our regions transportation priorities moving forward."